Surveilling Minds and Bodies: Sexualities, Medicine and the Law

Abstract

The intersections between sexuality, medicine and the law have interested scholars for several decades now, and the medical profession and the state have played an important role in the regulation of sexuality since the 19th century. These intersections have attracted sustained attention in the last few years as media, parliamentarians, faith-based organisations and activists have debated marriage equality, religious “ freedom ” , gender diversity and conversion practices. This special issue of the Journal of Australian Studies pays close attention to the ways state power and the power of medicine have regu-lated sexuality and shaped its politics since the 1930s, in Australian and wider transna-tional contexts. The articles in this special issue do not, however, suggest an oppositional relationship between an active regulatory apparatus and passive recipients of centralised control. Instead, their authors address how sexual citizens have also contested and ulti-mately helped to shift dominant relations of power when they examine issues of identity, the state, medicalisation, and community and public media. Conversely, individuals and groups have constructed new identities within contexts that initially seem totalising. This special issue emerged from a niche multidisciplinary conference convened in 2018 at the University of Newcastle. The organisers framed the event as both an oppor-tunity for attendees to engage with a diverse suite of disciplinary perspectives and a com-munity-based conference that welcomed input from interested groups and organisations. One of the invited keynote speakers was Michelle Lancey, founder of the Newcastle chapter of PFLAG, an organisation dedicated to supporting families and friends of rainbow people. Michelle had for many years been deeply involved in the campaign for marriage equality, and she was formally recognised in 2018 for her advocacy. A panel discussion organised by the student-run University of Newcastle Queer Collective further broadened the conference ’ s conversation on queer lives and practices in non-metropolitan spaces. Michael Kirby, former Justice of the High Court of Australia, gave his unique perspective on marriage equality in a public lecture. This special issue follows on from the conference, showcasing a diversity of disciplinary backgrounds. Our contributors o ff er insights from history, journalism, historical sociology and gender studies. Their scholarship highlights a set of critical issues from